Geo-referenced Sprayer Control for Non-tolerant Crop Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of determining whether crops in a field are tolerant or resistant to specific non-selective herbicides, due to hybrid resistance traits, makes it difficult to accurately apply the right herbicide, leading to potential crop damage and financial losses.
Innovation Solution
An agricultural sprayer system that uses as-planted data to create a geo-referenced electronic record, integrating GPS and sprayer control software to prevent herbicide application on non-resistant crops by determining the geoposition and herbicide tolerance of the crops within the field.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hand-drawn notes or field records are used to track crop herbicide tolerance, then the system remains simple and inexpensive, but the accuracy and reliability of herbicide application decisions deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by creating a geo-referenced electronic record of as-planted data before herbicide application. This advance preparation includes mapping crop locations and their herbicide tolerance traits, which enables accurate decision-making during the actual spraying operation without requiring complex real-time analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary electronic record (geo-referenced as-planted data) that mediates between the simple planting information and the complex herbicide application decisions. This intermediary layer processes and organizes the data, making it easily accessible for accurate spraying decisions without requiring the operator to manually interpret complex information.
2Measurement precision
If as-planted data is used to create geo-referenced electronic records, then the precision of herbicide application improves, but the complexity of data management and system requirements increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by using a single geo-referenced electronic record that serves multiple functions: storing crop location data, identifying herbicide tolerance traits, guiding sprayer operations, and providing a reference for decision-making. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate systems for each function, reducing overall complexity while maintaining high precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If stacked or multiple herbicide resistance traits are present in a single hybrid, then the versatility and adaptability of the crop increases, but the difficulty of determining appropriate herbicide selection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously referencing the geo-referenced as-planted data during sprayer operations. The electronic record provides immediate feedback on crop tolerance characteristics based on location, enabling the operator to make informed decisions about which herbicides can be safely applied to each specific area, even when crops have multiple resistance traits.
Data Source
AI summary
A method controlling an agricultural sprayer includes identifying an herbicide to be sprayed using the agricultural sprayer, determining a geoposition associated with the agricultural sprayer within a field, determining if crop planted at the geoposition is tolerant to the herbicide using as-planted data, and if the crop is not tolerant of the herbicide, preventing herbicide spraying operations while the agricultural sprayer is at the geoposition. An agricultural sprayer adapted for performing the method is also provided.